Current status of integrating oncology and palliative care in Japan: a nationwide survey.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Palliative care (PC) is increasingly recognized as essential for oncology care, and several academic societies strongly recommend integrating oncology and palliative care (IOP) in daily practice. Similarly, the Japanese government encouraged the implementation of IOP through the Cancer Control Act of 2007; however, its detailed progress remains unclear. Therefore, this cross-sectional nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the current status and hospital executive physicians' perception of IOP. METHODS:The questionnaire was developed based on IOP indicators with international consensus. It was distributed to executive physicians at all government-designated cancer hospitals (DCHs, n?=?399) and matched non-DCHs (n?=?478) in November 2017 and the results were compared. RESULTS:In total, 269 (67.4%) DCHs and 259 (54.2%) non-DCHs responded. The number of PC resources in DCHs was significantly higher than those in non-DCHs (e.g., full-time PC physicians and nurses, 52.8% vs. 14.0%, p?

SUBMITTER: Uneno Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6982384 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature